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Giammona A, De Vellis C, Crivaro E, Maresca L, Amoriello R, Ricci F, Anichini G, Pietrobono S, Pease DR, Fernandez-Zapico ME, Ballerini C, Stecca B. Tumor-derived GLI1 promotes remodeling of the immune tumor microenvironment in melanoma. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:214. [PMID: 39090759 PMCID: PMC11295348 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-024-03138-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Melanoma progression is based on a close interaction between cancer cells and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Thus, a better understanding of the mechanisms controlling TME dynamics and composition will help improve the management of this dismal disease. Work from our and other groups has reported the requirement of an active Hedgehog-GLI (HH-GLI) signaling for melanoma growth and stemness. However, the role of the downstream GLI1 transcription factor in melanoma TME remains largely unexplored. METHODS The immune-modulatory activity of GLI1 was evaluated in a syngeneic B16F10 melanoma mouse model assessing immune populations by flow cytometry. Murine polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs) were differentiated from bone marrow cells and their immunosuppressive ability was assessed by inhibition of T cells. Conditioned media (CM) from GLI1-overexpressing mouse melanoma cells was used to culture PMN-MDSCs, and the effects of CM were evaluated by Transwell invasion assay and T cell inhibition. Cytokine array analysis, qPCR and chromatin immunoprecipitation were performed to explore the regulation of CX3CL1 expression by GLI1. Human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs) were cultured in CM from GLI1-silenced patient-derived melanoma cells to assess their activation and recruitment. Blocking antibodies anti-CX3CL1, anti-CCL7 and anti-CXCL8 were used for in vitro functional assays. RESULTS Melanoma cell-intrinsic activation of GLI1 promotes changes in the infiltration of immune cells, leading to accumulation of immunosuppressive PMN-MDSCs and regulatory T cells, and to decreased infiltration of dendric cells (DCs), CD8 + and CD4 + T cells in the TME. In addition, we show that ectopic expression of GLI1 in melanoma cells enables PMN-MDSC expansion and recruitment, and increases their ability to inhibit T cells. The chemokine CX3CL1, a direct transcriptional target of GLI1, contributes to PMN-MDSC expansion and recruitment. Finally, silencing of GLI1 in patient-derived melanoma cells promotes the activation of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs), increasing cytoskeleton remodeling and invasion ability. This phenotype is partially prevented by blocking the chemokine CCL7, but not CXCL8. CONCLUSION Our findings highlight the relevance of tumor-derived GLI1 in promoting an immune-suppressive TME, which allows melanoma cells to evade the immune system, and pave the way for the design of new combination treatments targeting GLI1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Giammona
- Core Research Laboratory - Institute for Cancer Research and Prevention (ISPRO), Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Chiara De Vellis
- Core Research Laboratory - Institute for Cancer Research and Prevention (ISPRO), Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Enrica Crivaro
- Core Research Laboratory - Institute for Cancer Research and Prevention (ISPRO), Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Luisa Maresca
- Core Research Laboratory - Institute for Cancer Research and Prevention (ISPRO), Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Roberta Amoriello
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Federica Ricci
- Core Research Laboratory - Institute for Cancer Research and Prevention (ISPRO), Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Giulia Anichini
- Core Research Laboratory - Institute for Cancer Research and Prevention (ISPRO), Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Silvia Pietrobono
- Core Research Laboratory - Institute for Cancer Research and Prevention (ISPRO), Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - David R Pease
- Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Division of Oncology Research, Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Martin E Fernandez-Zapico
- Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Division of Oncology Research, Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Clara Ballerini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Barbara Stecca
- Core Research Laboratory - Institute for Cancer Research and Prevention (ISPRO), Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy.
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Antuamwine BB, Bosnjakovic R, Hofmann-Vega F, Wang X, Theodosiou T, Iliopoulos I, Brandau S. N1 versus N2 and PMN-MDSC: A critical appraisal of current concepts on tumor-associated neutrophils and new directions for human oncology. Immunol Rev 2022; 314:250-279. [PMID: 36504274 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Research on tumor-associated neutrophils (TAN) currently surges because of the well-documented strong clinical relevance of tumor-infiltrating neutrophils. This relevance is illustrated by strong correlations between high frequencies of intratumoral neutrophils and poor outcome in the majority of human cancers. Recent high-dimensional analysis of murine neutrophils provides evidence for unexpected plasticity of neutrophils in murine models of cancer and other inflammatory non-malignant diseases. New analysis tools enable deeper insight into the process of neutrophil differentiation and maturation. These technological and scientific developments led to the description of an ever-increasing number of distinct transcriptional states and associated phenotypes in murine models of disease and more recently also in humans. At present, functional validation of these different transcriptional states and potential phenotypes in cancer is lacking. Current functional concepts on neutrophils in cancer rely mainly on the myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) concept and the dichotomous and simple N1-N2 paradigm. In this manuscript, we review the historic development of those concepts, critically evaluate these concepts against the background of our own work and provide suggestions for a refinement of current concepts in order to facilitate the transition of TAN research from experimental insight to clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedict Boateng Antuamwine
- Experimental and Translational Research, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Rebeka Bosnjakovic
- Experimental and Translational Research, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Francisca Hofmann-Vega
- Experimental and Translational Research, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Xi Wang
- Experimental and Translational Research, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Theodosios Theodosiou
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Ioannis Iliopoulos
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Sven Brandau
- Experimental and Translational Research, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium, Partner Site Essen-Düsseldorf, Essen, Germany
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